ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 6, 2024 / 16:52 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis warned of “the cold war” in families and encouraged them to live peace and forgiveness. He delved into the subject during a Thursday visit to a condominium in the western area of Rome, within the context of the “School of Prayer” initiative.
“Let us defend the family, which is oxygen to help children grow, although there are also storms within it,” the Holy Father said during a meeting with about 30 families from the parish of St. Brigid of Sweden in the Roman neighborhood of Palmarola.
“If parents fight it is normal, but we have the possibility of making peace before the end of the day, because the cold war that comes the day after is terrible,” Pope Francis warned.
At the meeting, which he attended accompanied by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, the pope spoke and answered questions from parents, the elderly, children, and young people.
Pope Francis then encouraged the young people present to bear witness to the faith and reminded them that they have “the responsibility to move forward with history. One of the beautiful things about young people is that they get back up. We all fall in life, but the important thing is not to stay down.”
After pointing out that the Church “begins to take shape in the community,” the Holy Father indicated that “a parish where children are not listened to and the elderly are canceled is not a true Christian community. Do not forget that the elderly are the memory and the children are the promise.”
When asked by two parents about how to maintain the faith of children, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of parents loving each other, because children must be able to “feel that mom and dad love each other very much. If you fight, don’t do it in front of the children.”
The Holy Father also highlighted the importance of talking to your children: “Never stop talking to them. Education is done through dialogue; never leave them alone. Make them understand that they can talk about anything.”
Before leaving, Pope Francis gave away some rosaries and an image of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus.
What is the School of Prayer?
This was the Holy Father’s third event with the “School of Prayer,” an initiative promoted by the Vatican within the framework of this Year of Prayer and in preparation for the Jubilee 2025.
Through this project, Pope Francis will hold different meetings with various groups of people to pray together.
As Fisichella explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, in January, these prayer meetings “will depend on the commitments of Pope Francis and will possibly include people and families from the Diocese of Rome.”
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Was Bergoglio waging a “Cold War” when he refused to meet with the five Dubia cardinals? Hypocrisy.
When parents fight, they inflict pain on the hearts and minds of their audience. “If you fight, don’t do it in front of the children” – Pope Francis
We read: “…the Church “begins to take shape in the community…”
Yes, a fostering and instructive point, but on the big screen of history and ecclesiology we also notice that Luther replaced the universal/biblical and Eucharistic Church with the bible-based local “community.” Another conversation for another day, but now possibly blurred into the synodal “style”?
Certainly a good event, perfectly in step with tradition in the family. Of itself there’s no issue. Although, if Pope Francis expects to support the traditional understanding of familial unity, the very center of a Catholic Christian culture, how does he expect to balance that with his promotion of homosexuality within and without the Church?
The two approaches are incompatible to each other. Homosexual behavior is increasing indicating it’s not an inherent anthropological epiphany. Rather it’s elective. A cultural fad with prospect of longevity. Most fads die out. Homosexuality contributes to the death of the culture as historically occurred in previous great societies the Greek and the Roman. One might think he doesn’t realize you can’t have it both ways. Or does he?